One of the ways you can protect your system from malware, tracking, and spying is by blocking or blacklisting the IP addresses, ranges, and packets. PeerBlocker makes it quite easy to block any IP address especially while using torrents. However, PeerBlock lacks useful features and slow down your Internet speed significantly. Fret not, you can use PeerBlock alternative apps which gives you much better control and customization options. Here are some of the best PeerBlock alternatives you can try for free.
Read: 15 Best Legal Torrenting Sites to Download Content Safely
PeerBlock Alternatives
1. BeeThink IP Blocker
Moreover, you don’t need to create your IP block list. We are working on some big changes to improve the privacy and security that we offer to our users. IPList is yet another great PeerBlock alternative, especially when you are not a Windows user and want to perform torrenting on Linux. The recently emerged Surfshark VPN offers private DNS protection, along with unique. PeerBlock is a program written for Microsoft Windows (e.g. XP and Windows 7). The Linux alternative is MoBlock. I, however, want to incorporate the blacklisting p2b-files from PeerBlock into my Packet Filter firewall (PF).
BeeThink IP Blocker is a very simple, minimal, and lightweight application that lets you block any and all IP addresses. Along with specific IP addresses, you can also configure the application to block IP ranges. If needed, you can block IP addresses of the entire country too. If you already have an IP address list or programs that actively track problematic IP addresses, you can configure BeeThink IP Blocker to import those lists.
Since BeeThink can actively monitor your connections, you can always right-click on any IP addresses or connection and see what data it is sending or receiving. Of course, if the connection is encrypted. i.e. using TLS/SSL, you will see nothing but gibberish. Additionally, you can also lookup IP addresses for its other information like location, ownership, etc.
Other features of the application include auto updates to IP address lists, detailed logs, detailed information about ongoing incoming or outgoing connections, ability to exclude IP address, etc. Simply put, you can think of BeeThink as a mini-firewall.
If you are looking for a simple yet powerful application that not only lets you block certain IP addresses or IP ranges but also give you detailed additional information regarding various connections, then do try BeeThink IP Blocker.
BeeThink IP Blocker is a premium application that costs $69.95. There is a full-featured free 5-day trial for you to try the application.
Platform support: Windows only.
Download BeeThink IP Blocker
2. Simplewall
Simplewall is a free and open-source application that lets you block IP addresses, IP ranges, and installed or active applications. What makes Simplewall special is its high configurability and ease of use. Just launch the application, select the program you want to block, click on the “Enable filtering” button and you are done. Our of the box, Simplewall blocks several spy, tracking, and not so good IP addresses. Other than that, from the Settings panel, you can add custom IP addresses or IP ranges you want to block. While configuring the IP blocking, you can instruct Simplewall whether it should apply that rule system-wide or for a selected application.
As and when needed, you can export application rules and IP block rules with just a couple of clicks. Additionally, you can also configure the app to log dropped packets for debugging purposes.
Simplewall also has other features like application specific rules, whitelist and blacklist mode, system rules, highlighting, etc.
If you are looking for a full-featured application that lets you create both system-wide and application specific rules, then do try Simplewall.
Platform support: Windows only.
Download Simplewall (Free)
3. PeerGuardian
PeetGuardian is one of the most popular, free, and open-source PeerBlocker alternative and privacy firewall application. The user interface of the application is very clean and easy to use. By default, as soon as you launch the application, it will list all the active connections and their IP address. From there, you can right-click and select whether to allow or block a connection. One interesting feature of PeerGuardian is that you have the option to allow connection to a particular IP address either temporarily or permanently. This makes it easy to block connections temporarily.
PeerGuardian comes with quite a few IP address lists that are known as bad actors or tracking agents. From the configuration panel, you can pick and choose what list to block and what list to allow.
Of course, you can add your own IP addresses or IP ranges to the list for greater control. You can also create exceptions so that the IP address or range is not blocked even if it is in the blacklist.
Platform support: Linux only.
Download PeerGuardian
4. IPlist
IPlist is a free and open-source Linux only command line application to block IP addresses and IP ranges. Being a command line application, it is not that user-friendly and has a learning curve for beginner users who are not comfortable using command line applications. However, it gives you tremendous control over what to block and how to block. The best thing about IPlist is that it works in tandem with IPTables. You can create your own blacklist and whitelist lists and add them to the IPlist.
Other features of IPlist include but not limited to detailed logs, configurable allow and blocked lists, IPTables chains, port forwarding, etc. If you want GUI (Graphical User Interface), you can use IPblock. The instructions to how to enable GUI can be found in the IPlist documentation page.
If you are looking for a free and lightweight application and don’t mind fiddling around a bit to get things done, then do give IPlist a try.
Platform support: Linux only.
Download IPlist (free)
5. VPN
Using a VPN is probably the best alternative to Peerblock. Unlike Peerblock which only block bad IPs and doesn’t hide your IP address, VPNs can not only mask your IP address but also encrypt your entire stream. That said, most popular VPNs services do not support torrent, so you need to check before getting one. A simple Google search for ‘VPN that supports Bit Torrent proxy’ should do the trick for you. Some of the popular torrent providers that support Bit Torrent proxies include – ‘Private Intenet Access’, ‘Smart DNS Proxy’ and ‘Tor Guard’ etc.
Platform support: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS
6. Seedbox
Another way to anonymize your torrent downloads is by using service like Seedbox. Unlike a VPN which hide your IP address to download torrents, Seedbox is a remote computer with very high-speed internet connection. You rent a seedbox server just like you buy a VPN subscription and later do all your torrenting from that remote machine. In simple words, you download your torrents on your seedbox machine first and then transfer the torrents files from seedbox to your computer over the regular FTP connection. This way your ISP has no way of finding out what you are downloading.
In general, Seedbox is expensive than VPN with price starting from $15-$100 per month. We recommend researching Seedbox before you buying them, some of the popular seedboxes we recommend are – Whatbox and Bytesized.
Platform support: remote server can be accessed from any FTP client.
Wrapping Up
If you are Windows user and don’t mind paying for advanced features like the ability to monitor connections and see what data is being sent or received, go with BeeThink IP Blocker. Since there is a full-featured free trial, try the application under various scenarios before making a purchase decision. If you don’t want the ability to see data being sent or received over the network, I’d recommend going with Simplewall as it has almost all the features of BeeThink IP Blocker and more for free.
For Linux users, if you need a simple to use GUI then go with PeerGuardian. If you don’t mind command line stuff and want extensive control when it comes blacklisting and whitelisting, then go with IPlist.
That being said, though the IP blockers work as they should, it is quite easy to bypass the IP blocker protection. If you are looking to avoid detection, tracking, or spying then I’d recommend you go with a good reputable VPN service and an actual firewall or Seedbox. Sure, it costs you a few bucks every month but it gives you much better protection.
That is all for now. If you think I missed any of your favorite PeerBlock alternatives, then comment below and share them with me.
I will be covering both aspects from this topic, whether it’s Torrenting or others because 90% of people use PeerBlock for downloading torrents from an authentic source. The game of PeerBlock ends a while ago when ISPs took strict action against downloaders.
Now, blacklisted IP’s isn’t a bit concerned, everything available on the internet has its copyrights laws you will get you caught.
Peerblock alternatives might be a replacement of software for you but do the same thing. It would be best if you replaced Peerblock with VPN client, which will protect your torrents from prying eyes and encrypt the internet traffic.
Top reasons why PeerBlock is not reliable for Torrenting?
- Manually maintained IP address restrictions can never be 100% correct.
- Blocking huge amounts of IP addresses with no idea who they belong to can have negative effects on the performance of your internet connection.
- It only blocks the IP addresses that you ask, also it does not do anything to hide your IP address.
- It does not encrypt anything on your internet connection.
VPN as The Best PeerBlock Alternatives
You do not have to worry about how to protect your internet identity and privacy from prying eyes. Using a VPN as alternative to Peerblock will blow all of those problems away.
A VPN not only encrypts your traffic but masks your real IP address with that of the server that you have selected. If a surveillance agencies tries to track you activities, it won’t find any traces except encrypted data and a different physical location.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is an excellent choice as an alternative to Peerblock. Its features are too advanced to be compared with Peerblock and essentially throws it out of comparison. ExpressVPN permits the torrenting with complete security and anonymity.
Not only that ExpressVPN prioritizes strict no-logging policy. This means that whatever activity you commit online, will remain anonymous. It is a must-have feature in a Peerblock Alternative. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, It offers highly-professional customer support to its users.
2. NordVPN
Among Peerblock Alternatives, there’s NordVPN. It has a unique and advanced way of protecting users’ privacy and security. “Double-Data Protection” encrypts your routed traffic, not once but twice which makes it immune to threats and prying eyes.
Peerblock was intended to protect you from unwanted blacklisted organizations tracking you, but it failed in that. NordVPN is the most popular alternative to Peerblock and vows to protect your identity, helps you to download through BitTorrent client.
3. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is the community’s favorite VPN when it comes to anonymity. Its features are what declares PIA VPN as one of the best Peerblock alternatives that include kill-switch, fast internet speeds, military-grade encryption and much more
Moreover, Private Internet Access VPN is endorsed as an alternative to Peerblock because it is affordable and has an easy-to-use interface as compared to other alternatives. You can install and run PIA on multiple devices on a single time.
These VPNs consist of all the most advanced feature you need to hide from monitoring organizations and mass surveillance programs and will also serve as an alternative to Peerblock. Look no further, choose any of the VPNs stated above and perform your favorite task without an ease.
What Is PeerBlock?
PeerBlock mechanism is like a firewall for the computer system but it works on securing the incoming and outgoing connections through the internet. It has a feature that allows the user to block incoming connections into your network. Consumers of torrenting are known to use Peerblock to secure their internet connection from unwarranted intervention.
The main purpose of Peerblock is to block all the IP addresses of the organizations that monitor your activities. That includes government agencies, copyright holders, and other firms that can serve as a threat to torrenting and network connection. By blocking the IP addresses you can indulge in safe torrenting with more privacy and anonymity.
Peerblock software’s user interface is not easy to navigate around. It is also quite difficult to configure which allows Peerblock alternatives to get the upper hand. Trying to block all the potentially dangerous IP addresses is almost to impossible.
How does ‘PeerBlock’ Work?
Upon downloading and installing Peerblock. You are given the feature to add IP addresses to restrict them from entering or exiting your network. Consider it as a feature that allows you to filter all the incoming and outgoing connections.
People often get confused that Peerblock works perfectly when it comes to securing your privacy. You can not block all the IP addresses related to different security organizations and copyright holders.
Without making amends to the list, you are always insecure and most likely to be caught. Which ultimately leads to choosing an alternative to Peerblock as the Peerblock does not come with an IP list when you download it.
You need to bought a separate list of IP’s from a website known as iblocklist.com. The website contains the list of IP addresses of different monitoring organizations which includes government agencies, shady websites and copyright holders. If you want to add more lists to the restricted section, you have to buy more lists.
Free PeerBlock Alternatives And Their Importance
There are many different applications and programs which let you customize to your own need. The alternative to Peerblock application utilizes the same functionality of their big brother.
These programs are the best Peerblock alternatives available in the market. Each with their own unique features that make them stand out with one another. Read about them and protect yourself online.
1. Simplewall
Simplewall is considered as one of the best Peerblock alternative, which can be used to filter network for incoming and outgoing connections. It also is capable of monitoring network activity. The program has a simple to use application. The interface is considered to be easier to configure as compared to Peerblock. Upon installation, it disables the default windows spy features.
Simplewall gives the user the ability to create their own custom list of blocked IP addresses. It also enables to implement user-specific rules for example when to block them etc.
The program has support for IPv4 and Ipv6 as well which qualifies Simplewall as the alternative of Peerblock currently operating in the market.
2. PeerGuardian
Peerblock served as the more refined and more advanced version of PeerGuardian. If for some reason you do not like how Peerblock works, you can always downgrade to the original IP blocking software PeerGuardian as an alternative. This program also allows the user to add huge lists of IP addresses that can be restricted to prevent them from communicating with the computer system.
Linux version of the application PeerGuardian is still actively supported with, different updates to keep up with the evolution of the internet. Windows variant of the application is however not receiving any support or updates. Despite these facts, the program still performs the designated job perfectly.
3. BeeThink IP Blocker
Beethink IP blocker Firewall serves its purpose as another Peerblock alternatives. Its versatility and flexibility as a program qualifies it to be a part of the list. It can not only work on windows machines but can also be used on servers as well, when using on a server you can block IP addresses from a single source, without the need of manually blocking IP addresses per device.
This beast of a program packs a lot of features some of them are Custom black and white list, multiple IP formats that include Apache’s .htaccess. It makes it the all-rounder application that serves every purpose related to Peerblock.
Other than that the application includes a fairly unique feature that allows the user to lookup remote IP addresses and can also view ownership information such as name and other identifiable information. This feature, however, is not free to use and requires a bit of change in order to utilize its power.
4. IPlist
Iplist serves as the fourth Peerblock alternative on our list. Windows and other platform users this is a no-go area for you since this software is only compatible with Linux operating systems. Furthermore, this software utilizes Netfilter to filter out the incoming and outgoing connection to the device.
IPlist works nearly the same as Peerblock which qualifies it to be in the list of the alternatives to Peerblock. Since the release of IPlist in 2008, it has received so many updates, compared to both PeerGuardian and Peerblock, which assures the user that the support for this software is still working to improve the user experience.
Is PeerBlock Reliable for Torrenting?
Peerblock is not reliable for the purpose of Torrenting. It does not serve as a medium to secure privacy and identity which makes it fundamentally flawed since a hundred percent secure privacy is the number one priority when one is utilizing the torrent service.
Peerblock Vs
Therefore, it does not qualify to be able to use for the sole purpose of torrenting. There are many advanced Peerblock alternatives for you are available on the internet to solve the problem. If not, you can use Peerblock at your own risk. If you think that Peerblock keeps you safe while torrenting, you are wrong and you need to change your mind fast.
Torrenting is a whole other topic with vast technical terms. The common thing between Peerblock and Torrenting is that they both require security and privacy while using the service. VPN also serves as one of the best Peerblock alternatives to use alongside BitTorrent client to stay safe and secure.
Is PeerBlock a VPN?
Do not confuse Peerblock with a VPN. Peerblock and VPNs are two different software with different functionalities. People use VPN to ensure security and protect their privacy while utilizing the torrenting service and browsing the internet.
Not only that, VPN serves different tasks to ensure security, whereas Peerblock is only a firewall which blocks and unblocks incoming and outgoing connections to the computer system. VPN just outweighs Peerblock in various ways that is why it is considered as the alternatives.
VPN or PeerBlock?
Peerblock served a great purpose in the past when internet security and privacy issues were not a problem. By the addition of internet security vulnerabilities and high risks, people are starting to question the integrity of Peerblock and how it protects the user’s computer system.
As VPN is one of the best Peerblock alternatives available, it should be your number one priority. VPNs are equipped with more advanced features so it should be your perfect choice as an alternate.
Peerblock Alternative Reddit
According to users on Reddit, There was a heated debate on how Peerblock works and does it offer some kind of protection to its users. The answer is No, Peerblock is not a reliable source of anonymity when an individual performs torrenting activities.
The subreddit of Peerblock alternative included how Peerblock worked and how an individual user got his internet service banned and had to renew it just because he wasn’t using the proper security required during Torrenting. The proof is in front of you, now you have to decide whether you want to risk it or play it safe.
This subreddit is an Eye-opener for people who still believe that Peerblock is a reliable security measure. In my opinion, without using an alternative to Peerblock, you are immune to threats by agencies and copyright holders that may strip you for every bit of cash you own.
Peerblock Replacement
Conclusion
If you still use Peerblock and consider yourself safe, I’m sorry to inform you but you’re living in an illusion. You are not safe, you were never safe from threats while using Peerblock. It’s about time you wake up and look for other alternatives that provide better features and options regarding internet security and privacy. I would suggest using a VPN as an alternative to Peerblock.
Peerblock Iblacklist Alternative Group
If you still opt for Peerblock, it’s still your decision. VPN is the finest Peerblock alternative in 2019. Choosing between the two depends totally on the kind of work that you are doing. In my opinion, I would rather have full-fledged security on my side in the form of a VPN instead of Peerblock.